I wasn’t given a chance, says Barlow
Delisted Sun Michael Barlow has hit out at his former club.
The 30-year-old, who played just three games at the Gold Coast Suns in 2018 before being let go, told 3AW Football he wasn’t given a proper chance by coach Stuart Dew.
“I was aware that I was up against it to get another contract and I was probably on borrowed time towards the back end of the year,” Barlow said.
“I was pretty prepared for (the decision by the club), there was disappointment the whole way through the year.
“I didn’t feel like I was given enough of a chance, to put it bluntly. I felt like I was going pretty well in the NEAFL and at times, the Suns were paddling a bit. If the Suns were up and about and winning, I felt that was my best chance to play senior football.
Barlow’s career includes 126 games at Fremantle and 15 at Gold Coast and he said he was interested in finding a third club in 2019 if the opportunity presented itself.
“I’m definitely keen for another chance,” he said.
“I’m looking for the right environment, somewhere where I’m going to go where I’ll be picked if I’m going well enough.
The Suns’ struggles have been well documented and Barlow revealed the “shock” he felt arriving at the club in 2017 after moving on from Fremantle.
“There’s a lack of edginess at times (at the Suns) with performance,” he said.
“In a professional environment, you always need to be concerned about your position in the team and at times, you’re a bit sheltered up there.
“We’d have some pretty horrible losses and you’d feel ordinary but it’d pass really quickly because there isn’t that directly external noise on the Gold Coast Suns
“You’d have a poor loss at Freo and sometimes you couldn’t get your morning coffee.”
Click PLAY to hear our full chat with Michael Barlow on 3AW Football